Short Summary

Off the Louisiana coast of the United States, an oil well that has been ablaze since December 2nd is threatening severe pollution to an important stretch of coastline.

Description

Off the Louisiana coast of the United States, an oil well that has been ablaze since December 2nd is threatening severe pollution to an important stretch of coastline.

Americans say it's the worst oil well fire ever recorded, and while firefighters continue to battle with the inferno, another emergency force is trying to keep pollution in check.

On Tuesday (December 22), strong southerly winds threatened to was oil onto a 30-mile stretch of coast, and into rich oyster and shrimping grounds. But as the oilmen fought to contain the oil slicks with chemicals, the wind shifted and blew the oil out to sea again.